1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a boat cover or top for protection from sun or rain particularly adapted for use on small craft and on small craft varying in beam widths, the cover providing drainage from side to side in the case of rain or water covering and quick and easy set-up and convenient on board storage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, notably a patent to Frieder U.S. Pat. No. 3,354,892 patented Nov. 28, 1967, a boat canopy is disclosed which consists in a covering for a supporting framework previously erected on the boat. The covering as shown, has an arch catenary with a peak portion along the center line and drains from side to side. The cover in Frieder, is placed over the frame and secured thereto by cables running through tunnels in joints in sections of the cover. U.S. Pat. No. 3,422,829 to Adams discloses a canopy support with an elaborately designed gunwale hinge to support the super-structure. Adams uses an adjustable center piece with various holes to adjust beam widths. Other prior art patents include U.S. Pat. No. 4,683,900 which discloses a canopy including two U-shaped support members pivotally interconnected at the ends adapted for coupling with the side rails of the vehicle (such as a boat, tractor, or the like); it utilizes rubber straps coupled with the support members for slideable coupling with the side rails. The canopy is collapsible upon impact. A later patent to Adams U.S. Pat. No. 4,593,641 utilizes a pair of laterally adjustable U-shaped tubular frame members hingedly secured together, at least one of the tubular members connected to or received within a socket of a universal mounting at each side of the boat. The socket is pivotally mounted on articulating brackets carried by a C-shaped clamp removeably clamped to each side wall of the boat spanning the gunwales. U.S. Pat. No. 3,696,409 to Koontz and Reese discloses a gutter drain in FIGS. 3 and 4 running fore-and-aft for discharge of the same. U.S. Pat. No. 3,955,228 discloses a boat shade comprising a cover and a frame formed of three inverted U-shaped components, two of these being secured to the third inverted U-shaped component on which they are vertically erected by their ends to the sides of the boat.